Kitzbuehel Alps accommodation from AU$290

One of the world’s most famous mountain ranges, the Alps stretches around 1,200km through eight European countries, including Switzerland, France and Italy. The highest peak is Mont Blanc, which stands 15,781 feet on the border between Italy and France and attracts about 20,000 hikers a year to its white summit beyond the clouds.

The centre of Alpine life in Austria is Innsbruck, the capital city of Tyrol, where centuries-old buildings are painted a variety of pastel colours. The city has a large student population, so there are cafes, beer halls and even dance clubs around. It’s not all medieval vibes either. The Hungerburg Funicular Railway, designed by architect Zaha Hadid, takes you from a futuristically sculpted terminal to the Nordkette mountain range in just 20 minutes. Hadid also designed the equally futuristic Bergisel Ski Jump Stadium on Bergisel, a famous skiing hill. If you don’t know how to ski, the slopes of Innsbruck are a fine place to take a lesson.

Actually, so are the rest of the Austrian Alps. Seefield is a skier’s paradise that offers over 226km of trails during winter. Other great skiing spots are Ramsau au Dachstein, which has the highest mountain in the Styria region, and Zillertal, another quaintly beautiful alpine village and one of the area’s most-visited spots.

In the warmer months, hiking and cycling take the place of skiing. Seefield has over 650km of hiking trails through green countrysides with hillside views of the town, fields of flowers and more than 60 mountain huts serving food and drink. And if you really love taking a hike, mountains like Grossglockner are fun to explore too. There are short and long walks to choose from, and some guided tours to make things easier.

Venture to the village of Werfen, near Salzburg, for the largest ice cave in the world: Werfen Ice Cave. A guide will take you on an icy adventure through a maze of rock and ice. If you explored it all, you’d be walking 42km. Luckily you won’t be walking THAT much, but you will be wandering through some pretty impressive icy landscapes. Also in Werfen, you’ll find Hohenwerfen Adventure Castle. It’s a huge castle built in the 11th century and surrounded by trees and mountains, and you can book in for one of the daily tours and explore everything from a falconry centre to a weapons exhibition.

Skiing, hiking, modern conveniences and sights you’ll never forget. Wot more do you need? Put the postcards down and book your Austrian Alps accommodation and a flight to Austria with us. You’ll climb to new heights in more ways than one.